Vanderbilt baseball's top 10 College World Series plays

The Tennessean's Nick Cole picks the top 10 performances from Vanderbilt's national championship run in Omaha:

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No. 10

Swanson's gapper

Vanderbilt second baseman Dansby Swanson, who won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award, made several defensive plays that just missed this list. The play that did make it was his line-drive double into the left-center gap that scored the first two runs of the College World Series for the Commodores. It gave Vanderbilt the offensive boost it needed for a 5-3 win over Louisville.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 9

Fulmer's gutsy performance

The moment Carson Fulmer took the mound on three days rest to pitch in Game 3 of the national championship series was a monumental confidence boost for a team that was reeling from a loss the night before. Fulmer's willingness to take the ball for a third start in Omaha and the energy level and effectiveness that came with the start played a part in reversing the Commodores' fate against Virginia on Wednesday.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 8

Stone's sturdy relief work

The Commodores may have never made it to the national championship series if it were not for freshman reliever Hayden Stone. With the Commodores tied 2-2 in an elimination game with Texas, Stone entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning. He got a 5-4-3 double play to get the Commodores out of a jam and earned the win with 5-2/3 innings of relief.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 7

Reynolds' wall crash

Vanderbilt freshman Bryan Reynolds may have set the tone for the entire College World Series with his highlight-reel catch in the top of the second inning against Louisville. Reynolds made a great play on a well-struck fly ball while battling wind gusts that were reaching over 30 mph. Reynolds crashed into the left-field wall but held on for an inning-ending catch that saved extra bases and denied the Cardinals an early lead.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 6

Campbell's double take

The Commodores won Game 1 of the national championship series thanks to a nine-run top of the third inning. And no player was more instrumental than third baseman Tyler Campbell. The sophomore had two doubles in the inning, including a hot shot down the third-base line with the bases loaded. It cleared the bases with two out, extending the lead to 9-2.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 5

Wiseman's crash

It took extra innings against Texas to advance the Commodores to the national championship series. One of the most important -- and impressive -- plays of the tournament came from right fielder Rhett Wiseman in the top of the 10th inning. Stone delivered a pitch that was well-struck by Longhorns shortstop C.J Hinojosa and appeared to be a lead-off double. But Wiseman tracked it down on the warning track in the right-center gap while on a dead sprint.

AP Photo

No. 4

Buehler's near perfect outing

Tyler Beede left the Commodores in a world of trouble against UC Irvine. He gave up four runs in 3-2/3 innings, leaving coach Tim Corbin to make the decision to bring starting pitcher Walker Buehler in for relief work. Buehler finished out the game with 5-1/3 innings of no-hit ball to earn his team-best 12th win of the season.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 3

Campbell's game winner

He already was a pleasant surprise with two hits in his first start as replacement for Xavier Turner, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. But it was Campbell's second start against Texas that Commodores fans will remember for years to come. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th in a 3-3 game, Campbell sent Vanderbilt to the national championship series by legging out an infield single, allowing Rhett Wiseman to score the winning run.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 2

Norwood's home run

Tied 2-2 through seven innings of the winner-take-all Game 3 of the national championship series, the Commodores were looking for a hero. They found one in junior center fielder John Norwood, who hit the shot heard around Vandy Nation in the top of the eighth inning, turning around a 97 mph fastball from first-round pick Nick Howard and placing it into the bullpen behind the left field wall. It turned out to be the run that gave Vanderbilt the 3-2 advantage it needed to earn its first baseball national championship.

Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean

No. 1

Ravenelle's strikeout

While many will point to Norwood's home run as the top moment, there were still six outs to get and Virginia was knocking at the door with bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning. Relief pitcher Adam Ravenelle worked the Commodores out of the jam by getting two ground balls, and then pitched a scoreless ninth to record his third save of the College World Series. Ravenelle capped it off with tournament's top moment-- a strike out of Virginia shortstop Daniel Pinero.

The Tennessean's Nick Cole picks the top 10 performances from Vanderbilt's national championship run in Omaha:

10. Swanson's gapper

Vanderbilt second baseman Dansby Swanson, who won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award, made several defensive plays that just missed this list. The play that did make it was his line-drive double into the left-center gap that scored the first two runs of the College World Series for the Commodores. It gave Vanderbilt the offensive boost it needed for a 5-3 win over Louisville.

9. Fulmer's gutsy performance

The moment Carson Fulmer took the mound on three days rest to pitch in Game 3 of the national championship series was a monumental confidence boost for a team that was reeling from a loss the night before. Fulmer's willingness to take the ball for a third start in Omaha and the energy level and effectiveness that came with the start played a part in reversing the Commodores' fate against Virginia on Wednesday.

8. Stone's sturdy relief work

The Commodores may have never made it to the national championship series if it were not for freshman reliever Hayden Stone. With the Commodores tied 2-2 in an elimination game with Texas, Stone entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning. He got a 5-4-3 double play to get the Commodores out of a jam and earned the win with 5-2/3 innings of relief.

7. Reynolds' wall crash

Vanderbilt freshman Bryan Reynolds may have set the tone for the entire College World Series with his highlight-reel catch in the top of the second inning against Louisville. Reynolds made a great play on a well-struck fly ball while battling wind gusts that were reaching over 30 mph. Reynolds crashed into the left-field wall but held on for an inning-ending catch that saved extra bases and denied the Cardinals an early lead.

6. Campbell's double take

The Commodores won Game 1 of the national championship series thanks to a nine-run top of the third inning. And no player was more instrumental than third baseman Tyler Campbell. The sophomore had two doubles in the inning, including a hot shot down the third-base line with the bases loaded. It cleared the bases with two out, extending the lead to 9-2.

5. Wiseman's catch

It took extra innings against Texas to advance the Commodores to the national championship series. One of the most important -- and impressive -- plays of the tournament came from right fielder Rhett Wiseman in the top of the 10th inning. Stone delivered a pitch that was well-struck by Longhorns shortstop C.J Hinojosa and appeared to be a lead-off double. But Wiseman tracked it down on the warning track in the right-center gap while on a dead sprint.

4. Buehler's near perfect outing

Tyler Beede left the Commodores in a world of trouble against UC Irvine. He gave up four runs in 3-2/3 innings, leaving coach Tim Corbin to make the decision to bring starting pitcher Walker Buehler in for relief work. Buehler finished out the game with 5-1/3 innings of no-hit ball to earn his team-best 12th win of the season.

3. Campbell's game-winner

He already was a pleasant surprise with two hits in his first start as replacement for Xavier Turner, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. But it was Campbell's second start against Texas that Commodores fans will remember for years to come. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th in a 3-3 game, Campbell sent Vanderbilt to the national championship series by legging out an infield single, allowing Rhett Wiseman to score the winning run.

2. Norwood's home run

Tied 2-2 through seven innings of the winner-take-all Game 3 of the national championship series, the Commodores were looking for a hero. They found one in junior center fielder John Norwood, who hit the shot heard around Vandy Nation in the top of the eighth inning, turning around a 97 mph fastball from first-round pick Nick Howard and placing it into the bullpen behind the left field wall. It turned out to be the run that gave Vanderbilt the 3-2 advantage it needed to earn its first baseball national championship.

1. Ravenelle's strikeout

While many will point to Norwood's home run as the top moment, there were still six outs to get and Virginia was knocking at the door with bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning. Relief pitcher Adam Ravenelle worked the Commodores out of the jam by getting two ground balls, and then pitched a scoreless ninth to record his third save of the College World Series. Ravenelle capped it off with tournament's top moment-- a strike out of Virginia shortstop Daniel Pinero.